Bring in the Poor

Works of charity are better than works of showing off.

 Luke 14:12-14  Then He turned to His host. "When you put on a luncheon or a banquet," He said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.  13  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  14  Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."

Proverbs 14:31  Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors Him.

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What an awkward situation we have here. Jesus is at a rich leader of the Pharisees home for dinner and he lets the guy know that he shouldn't invite all of his rich friends to the banquet but rather he should have invited "the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind."

There is no doubt that Jesus was the only poor man there, this religious group still didn't get it when Jesus told them:

Matthew 9:13  Then He added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

If we spend too much of our time planning activities with our friends and with those that have the power to help us get ahead, then we will not be focused on the desire of Jesus for us and we will have no interest in helping others.

Help me Lord to always be focused on what is important to you, help me to be a friend to those that are in need, showing the same compassion that you have for them.

You might like to read: Commands of Jesus blog series.

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